November 3, 2011 (Marlton NJ & Austin TX) –digitalmusic.org, the virtual home of music business association NARM’s digital initiatives, will present several sessions from its “Music Start Up Academy” curriculum to the 2012 SXSW Music Conference, in conjunction with the SXSW Accelerator program. SXSW Music and Platinum badge holders will be able to participate in the Music Start Up Academy, which will be held on Wednesday, March 14.

First presented at General Assembly in New York in the spring of 2011, the Music Start Up Academy is a series of educational sessions designed to reduce barriers to entry into the music business for entrepreneurs. The coursework will provide a clear roadmap to success by offering actionable insights into the core structure, legal framework, content deals, business models, and the “nuts n’ bolts” of getting things done to build a legal, streamlined, and competitive music property. Each class will be taught by industry experts that know the ins and outs of technology, start-ups and the music industry.

“The future of the music business is dependent upon technology innovation, but there are very few opportunities that provide the fundamentals of the industry for these entrepreneurs,” said Bill Wilson, VP, Digital Strategy & Business Development, NARM/digitalmusic.org. “SXSW’s Conferences bring together thousands of people from both worlds, and we hope the Music Start Up Academy event will build a bridge between these groups so more great new music-focused start-ups get to market quickly and achieve success.”

“We are excited about NARM’s initiatives, and know that digitalmusic.org’s Music Start Up Academy curriculum will be a great complement to our Accelerator event,” said Andy Flynn, Music Panels Chief, SXSW. “These classes will provide the information how to take a cool idea for a music start up and turn it into a viable reality.”

The three sessions that will be presented at SXSW will be:

Label and Publishing Basics for Entrepreneurs
A deeper dive into the economics of the music industry, including performance rights, including understanding the various rights for master recordings and songwriting. We will also go over the various legal issues surrounding music product development.

Music Industry Content Acquisition and Business Development
Want Lady Gaga for your music service? A cool product isn’t enough. What are the “dos and don’ts” in licensing vast libraries of major content. Learn the third rails and how to manage navigating around the barriers to entry.

Getting Under The Hood: Music Operations For CTOs and Developers
Once a deal is done on the legal side, technical teams need to work out content delivery and royalty reporting mechanisms. This course will discuss industry XML standards for content delivery, and royalty reporting, metadata, best practices, and troubleshooting.

About digitalmusic.org
digitalmusic.org (DMO) is the home for the digital initiatives of NARM, the National Association of Recording Merchandisers, the trade association for the business of music. NARM provides the central platform for the discussion of industry‐wide concerns and spearheading the implementation of initiatives to advance the business. While primarily focused on physical formats for much of its history, NARM has expanded its mission in the past ten years to include all facets of music commerce. This includes physical, digital, and mobile commerce partners as well as gaming, applications, and other emerging revenue models. DMO is governed under the by‐laws of NARM, by NARM President Jim Donio, the NARM Board Of Directors, and directly by digitalmusic.org Co‐chairs Christina Calio (Microsoft Entertainment), David Levin (Sony Music Entertainment) and Bill Wilson, NARM VP of Digital Strategy & Business Development. Topics and actions for each individual work groups are determined by the individual work group leaders.

About NARM
Established in 1958, NARM (National Association of Recording Merchandisers) is the trade association for the business of music, providing the central platform for the discussion of industry‐wide concerns, spearheading the implementation of initiatives to promote music commerce, and advocating for common interests. Members include companies and individuals from all aspects of music distribution, including physical, digital, and mobile outlets as well as gaming, applications, merchandise, video and more. NARM members have access to a variety of conferences, virtual seminars, networking opportunities, information and education resources. NARM is a nonprofit organization based in Marlton, New Jersey. Visit us at http://www.narm.com.

About SXSW Conferences & Festivals
The South by Southwest Music and Media Conference (SXSW) is a six-day professional meeting held every March in Austin, Texas for members of the regional, national, and international music industry. The daytime sessions–attended by more than 16,000 registrants includes scores of panels, workshops and other meetings covering relevant music industry topics and issues as well as a large multi-industry trade show exhibition. Evenings are devoted to the SXSW Music Festival, which showcases over 2000 acts — from unsigned hopefuls to rising major label acts. Following the business, the event is capped by a Sunday afternoon, Texas-styled barbecue and softball tournament. The 2012 event takes place March 13 – 18, 2012. Highlights from the Music Festival and Conference included showcases from Raphael Saadiq, TV on the Radio and Fitz and the Tantrums, and speakers Yoko Ono, Duran Duran and Bob Geldof.

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